Subcutaneous medication



Dec. 23, 1952 J, w, LEE T AL 2,622,597

SUBCUTANEOUS MEDICATION Original Filed Dec. 15, 1945 V/ .3 4 6 6 z. m 4 w k \A J 7' 8 Y 5 7 M VHVI'ORS JOH/VW. l

HUGH E. M/LQT/N WM. I ALEXA/V05 2 Patented Dec. 23, 1952 SUBCUTANEOUS MEDICATION John W. Lee, Hugh E. Martin, and William M. Alexander, Indianapolis, Ind.

Original application December 15, 1945, Serial No. 635,266. Divided and this application June 14, 1950, Serial No. 168,011

4 Claims.

The present invention broadly relates to the subcutaneous administration of medicaments.

Particularly our invention relates to a device for and a method of implanting medicaments subcutaneously in such a manner that the medicament comes in direct contact with body tissues and after remaining in place for a period of time any residual medicament can be readily removed.

More specifically, the invention relates to a device for implanting hormones or hormone-like substances subcutaneously in poultry, said device having a means for removing any residual hormone material after a period of time.

In the field of drug therapy, it is a well established principle that the subcutaneous route of administration produces a most desirable type of response. In some cases, i. e., when it is desired to obtain continued medication over a period of time, it is usually necessary to give repeated subcutaneous injections at irequent intervals, especially when the medicament is in a liquid form. It has been determined that when solid medicament in the form of fused pellets or compressed tablets are implanted subcutaneously, the rate of absorption by the body is such that a continuous and desirable type of therapeutic action is produced. There are, however, certain disadvantages which result from the subcutaneous administration of pellets or tablets. One of these disadvantages is that in some instances, the rate of absorption is such that toxic symptoms are produced, and it is extremely difficult to locate and remove the medicament before serious consequences result. Another disadvantage is that when medication is desired for a prolonged period of time, there is a tendency for the pellet to be walled off by body tissues in such a manner that drug absorption is seriously hindered. In the treatment of domestic animals for improving their flesh quality by pellet implantation, it is necessary to discard the portion of the animal in which the inmplantation was made in order to avoid possible harm from consumption of the meat. Still another disadvantage of the ordinary pellet implantation technique is that a special trocar or similar instrument is required for making the implant or an operative procedure must be employed.

It is an advantage of the present invention that a device and means for the subcutaneous administration of medicaments is provided which avoids the disadvantages enumerated above.

Another advantage of our invention is that a device is provided which has means for maintaining a medicament in direct contact with body tissues after subcutaneous administration and in such a manner that the medicament can be withdrawn at any time desired to avoid toxic manifestations of the drug or for any other reason.

It is also an advantage of our invention that a unitary device comprising a medicament holder and a medicament is provided which can be readily implanted subcutaneously, held in position, and removed at any desired time.

It is an especial advantage of our invention that a device and method are provided for the subcutaneous administration of hormone-like materials to poultry whereby the hormone effect can be maintained for any desired period of time and after which time any residual material is easily removed.

The present invention is particularly well suited for the subcutaneous administration of hormones and hormone-like materials. In this connection, it is suited for the administration of any of the naturally occurring hormone materials or any of the synthetic organic compounds having a hormone-like action. Included among such hormone materials are estrone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, gonadotropic hormones, lactogenic hormones, diethylstilbestrol, hexestrol, 2,4-di(P-hydroxyphenyl) 3-ethylhex ane, and the like.

The present invention can also be used for the subcutaneous administration of chemotherapeutic agents includin the various sulfonamides, penicillin, streptomycin and the like. Similarly, the present invention can be used for the subcutaneous administration of arsenicals, organic bismuth compounds and other antiluetics.

It is evident from the foregoing that our invention is adapted for the subcutaneous administration of any medicament wherein a continuous therapeutic effect is desired and wherein for any reason the medicament might need to be removed.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our device;

Figure 2 is a detailed view of the medicament retaining means of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the device of Figure 1, with the fastening means raised;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the medicament retaining means of the device of Figure 1.

Our invention is illustrated by the drawings of Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The device of Fig. 1 shows a body member I which may be formed of metal, plastic, or other semi-rigid material. The device has a pointed end 2 for piercing the skin, and an opening 5 through which the pointed end 4 can be introduced and locked by applying pressure at the point 3. The Fig. 1 shows the device in a locked position as would be the case when in an operative position. The side view of Fig. 3 shows the device in an unlocked position prior to introduction. The holder I is provided with means for retaining a medicament in tablet form. This drug retaining means comprises two tabs 1 which run longitudinally of the holder and two tabs 6 which are crosswise of the holder I. The Figure 2 shows an enlarged, more detailed View of the drug retaining means. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view through the drug retaining means, showing the tabs 1 more clearly. In order to load the device with the drug, a compressed or fused tablet of the drug having a shape roughly corresponding to the shape of the drug retainer 8 is placed in the retaining member with the tabs 1 bent in slightly to support the tablet. The tab members 6 are then bent over to clamp the top side of the tablet. The tabs 6 and 7, therefore, serve to hold the medicament tablet and yet expose a considerablev portion of both the upper and lower surfaces to the body tissues for absorption when in an inserted osition.

After the medicament tablet has been firmly grasped or fastened in the drug retainer 8, and the skin piercing point is in the open position as shown in Fig. 3, the device is used as follows: A loose fold of skin is selected on the animal or fowl to be treated and the sharpened end 2 is pushed through the skin and the device inserted to the point between the opening 5 and the curved portion of 3. Pressure is now applied on the area 3 which causes the point 4 to pierce the skin, enter the opening 5, and lock the body in position. The area 3 is now the only portion of has remained. in position the desired length of time, the locking engagement between 4 and 5* is broken as shown in Fig. 3, and the device including the unadsorbed portion of the drug in the retainer 8 is readily removed by grasping 3 and pulling outwardly.

In practicing the present invention, it will be readily seen that our device is designed to hold a solid medicament underneath theskin of an animal in sucha manner that a relatively large, area of the, medicament is exposed directly to the body tissues and that means are provided for withdrawing the holding device together with any unabsorbed medicament at. any given. time. Many of, the medicaments used subcutaneously are solid substances at body temperatures. When these solid substances are not injured by heat, they may be melted and molded in a satisfactory form for inserting into our holder. Some solid drugs injured by heat may be mixed with auxiliary solid substances having relatively low melting points such as the waxes, higher fatty alcohols and the like liquefied by heat, and used as indicated above. Suitable auxiliary substances include. beeswax, cholestrol, cetyl. alcohol, lanolin, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethyleneglycols and the like or mixtures thereof. Similarly, liquid medicaments may be mixed with solid inert diluting materials such as the waxes and solid alcohols and these mixtures employed for producing a solid product suitable for subcutaneous use.

In Poultry Science, vol. 24, March 1945, beginning with page 128, there is an article by F. W. Lorenz, entitled The influence of diethylstilbestrol on fat deposition and meat quality in chickens. Lorenz, in this article, indicates that while stilbestrol pellets produce a very desirable effect upon the quality of poultry meat, there are some problems that should be solved. For example, he states on page A problem not solved previously (Lorenz, 1943) was raised by the presence of pellet residues at killing time. Such residues represent a wastage. of active material, and they would be objectionable if inadvertently ingested by the consumer. This danger may be minimized by placing the pellet in a part of the bird not usually eaten, i. e., high in the neck-but the only completely satisfactory solution to the problem would be a pellet that is completely dissolved before the bird is killed.

On page 132, he describes a method whereby he proposed to solve the problem:

The problem, apparently,v is to produce a pellet that will maintain ahigh rate of absorption throughout the treatment period and yet be completely absorbed at the end of the period. The dilemma arises from the necessity of maintaining a large surface area in order to have ra id absorption. An attempt was. made to resolve this difficulty by coating sugar pills with the fused diethyl'stilbestrol.

In actual practice, our device canbe very satisfactorily employed for the administration of diethylstilbestrol, to. poultry. The holding device, withthe desired amount of diethylstilbestrol, may be inserted, subcutaneously in the neck. of the, fowl, clamped in position,.and allowed to remain for. a period of from two to four weeks. If further treatment is desired, it is only necessary to. insert a new holder at the. time the other is removed. In order to avoid. the possibility of the consumer ingesting diethylstilbestrol that may be stored in the various organs or tissues of thefowl, it, is usually desirable to remove the diethylstilbestrol. and. holder a few days, beforethe; bird is to be killed or marketed. In this Way; the drug would be eliminated from the organs or tissues before being consumed for food.

It is apparent from the foregoing that. our-in,- vention can be varied to a considerable, extent without departing from the spirit thereof. The invention is, therefore, to be broadly construed in. accordance with the appended claims.

The present application is a division; of our application Serial No. 635,266, filing date, December 15, 1945, now Patent 2,546,759 grantedMay We, claim:

1. A device forthe. subcutaneousimplantation of medicaments comprising a. body having an opening adapted to ret-aina medicinal tablet. with a large proportionof the: upper and lower surface of the tablet exposed, a sharpenedendon said body adapted for introducing; the tablet: retaining portion of the body sub,cutaneously, the oppositeend of said body having a. skin piercing. means and: adapted for fastening the body in position after. introduction. I

2.. A device; for. the, subcutaneous implantation.

device of claim 2 and a solid medicament re- 10 tained in the receptacle thereof.

4. An article of manufacture comprising the device of claim 2 and a solid form of diethylstilbestrol retained in the receptacle thereof.

JOHN W. LEE. HUGH E. MARTIN. WILLIAM M. ALEXANDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,031,244 Carter July 2, 1912 1,129,657 Fiessler Feb. 23, 1915 

